Diablo 3 Open Beta Weekend Kicks Off: Will It Survive the Stress Test?

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Bringing back the old-school magic, Blizzard has put its upcoming installment in the fantasy-game series - Diablo 3 - on an open stress test this entire weekend. The full version of game is launching on May 15. But the game developer - Blizzard Entertainment, is giving a sneak peek into the game.

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To access the game, players need Blizzard's Battle.net account. And new players can register there for free. Afterwards, a game client is needed to hook the game with Diablo server. The Diablo 3 Beta client is also available on the Web site as a free download.

Also, you'll need to set BattleTag, a player-chosen nickname, which uniquely indentifies each player or team in Blizzard world. The client being offered for stress test is available for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X operating systems.

Players can enter the demon-fighting game in single player or co-op mode by choosing any of five available characters - Demon Hunter, Barbarian, Monk, Witch Doctor or Wizard, where each character has its own strengths and limits.

A most significant inclusion in the gameplay is Skill Runes that allows player to alter skills of the chosen character after completion of each level in order to fit in the theme. Graphics quality has also been greatly improved in Diablo 3.

The beta game consists of 13 levels with a boss fight at the end. The stress test lasts for about an hour. Started on Friday at 12:00 p.m. PDT, the 3-day open stress test will end on April 23 at 10:00 a.m. PDT.

Avid gamers from all over the world, except Korea, can savor the early experience of playing Diablo 3. For Korean players, the stress test will be available on April 23 with an invitation to a closed beta test. The closed beta test is also ending on May 1 and the game will release on May 15.

A "Server Busy" message while logging in to the game client is something expected as demand for beta stress test is surprisingly high. So, do not get annoyed and try logging into the account again. For more information, you can check the official announcement page.